About 20-25% of Defense Ministry money stolen - Biriukov

KYIV, January 6 /Ukrinform/. About 20-25% of money allocated to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry is currently being stolen.

Presidential advisor and assistant to the defense minister Yuriy Biriukov has said this on Channel 5, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

"According to estimates, about 20-25% of money is stolen now," Biriukov said.

He noted that the military prosecutor's office should be responsible for the restoration of law and order in the ministry. But there is also "total corruption" there, Biriukov added.

In this regard, Biriukov said that the main task for volunteers working in the Defense Ministry is to overcome "total corruption" in the department. To do so, they focus on eliminating the conditions for corrupt activities or on complicating such activities, rather than on catching concrete corrupt persons.

"Our goal is to ensure that no more money is siphoned off next year, given the increase in the budget," Biriukov said.

ir/ap